Kidney Advocacy Wins in 2026: Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Dakota

With more than 100,000 Americans currently on the transplant waitlist and millions living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), advocates say these legislative wins are an important step toward improving kidney health nationwide.

These new laws could make it easier for people to detect kidney disease early, protect living organ donors from insurance discrimination, and provide job protections and paid leave after donation surgery.

Colorado led the way in 2026 with two major kidney health victories.

Colorado Continues Kidney Disease Prevention Task Force

HB 26-1277 officially continues the state’s Kidney Disease Prevention and Education Task Force. The bill passed both legislative chambers unanimously and was signed by the Governor on April 20, 2026.

The task force helps increase kidney disease awareness, education, and prevention efforts across the state.

Colorado Advances Coverage for Kidney Disease Testing

Colorado lawmakers also passed HB 26-1019, bipartisan legislation requiring insurance carriers to cover urine and blood tests used to:

• Screen for kidney disease
• Diagnose CKD
• Stage kidney disease progression

The legislation classifies these tests as preventive healthcare, helping more people access early kidney disease detection before symptoms worsen.

As of publication, the bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature.

Early detection matters because kidney disease often develops silently. Many people do not realize they have CKD until their kidneys are severely damaged.

Tennessee passed SB 0579 in 2026 to strengthen protections for living donors. 

The new law:

• Allows eligible employees up to 12 weeks of leave after living organ donation surgery
• Prohibits life, disability, and long-term care insurers from discriminating against living donors
• Requires the Department of Health to publish educational materials about living donation

The legislation improved Tennessee’s national ranking for living donor protection from an F to a C and officially took effect on April 23, 2026. 

Alabama also achieved a major kidney advocacy win with HB 361.

The law:

• Prohibits insurance discrimination against living organ donors
• Protects access to life, disability, and long-term care insurance
• Offers private employers a tax credit of up to $2,000 for providing paid leave to organ donors

The legislation moved Alabama from a D grade to a B grade in national living donor protection rankings—one of the largest single-year improvements in the country.

The bill was sponsored by Anthony Daniels, who is also a kidney transplant recipient.

South Dakota made history in 2026 with the passage of HB 1101, signed into law by Governor Larry Rhoden on March 9, 2026.

The law prevents life, disability, and long-term care insurers from:

• Denying coverage to living organ donors
• Raising premiums solely because someone donated an organ
• Canceling policies due to living donor status

The legislation was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Before the bill’s passage, South Dakota had received an F rating for living donor protections for five consecutive years.

Advocates called the legislation a long-awaited breakthrough for the state’s transplant community.

These state-level victories highlight the growing momentum behind kidney disease advocacy and living donor protections across the United States.

For people living with kidney disease, these laws may help:

• Increase access to early kidney disease screening
• Reduce financial and insurance barriers for living donors
• Support employees recovering from organ donation surgery
• Encourage more people to consider living donation

Advocates hope these state successes will help push forward future federal legislation that standardizes protections for living organ donors nationwide.

The actions taken this year in Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama, and South Dakota show us what’s possible when advocates raise their voices! 

Join NKF’s advocacy community to be part of our movement for change.